


we look out for each other

by justalittlebluetiefling



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Angst, Avantika - Freeform, Beauregard Lionett - Freeform, F/M, No Comfort Only Hurt, POV Jester Lavorre, Yasha Nydoorin - Freeform, also includes the following characters:, but like it's not really t, canon compliant through episode 112, everyone else is busy right now, i don't think i even swore in this, oh yeah also rated t for minor blood and implications of violence, spoilers for 112
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-16
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:33:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27041293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justalittlebluetiefling/pseuds/justalittlebluetiefling
Summary: There's only one way that Fjord will leave willingly.
Relationships: Fjord/Jester Lavorre
Comments: 5
Kudos: 57





	we look out for each other

“No! Avantika! Let her go!”

The words rip out of Fjord as Jester digs her fingers into Avantika’s arm. Jester is strong, she should be stronger than this, but whatever fucking version of Avantika this is has a grip on her so tight she can’t move. Avantika’s skin is cold and clammy against Jester’s cheek. Her chest doesn’t quite rise and fall like it should against Jester’s back.

The words rip out of him in a way that maybe _shouldn’t_ surprise her, but she’s never heard him sound like that before. She can’t see Caleb on the ground anymore. Avantika spun them both around as soon as she had a hold of her. She can’t see Beau and Yasha surrounded by enemies on the other side of the ship. All she can see is Fjord.

It’s like everything’s slowed down all of a sudden. She can see the way his fingers dig into the red leather at the hilt of his sword. The way his boots skid against the deck as he stops when Avantika holds up a hand to wave her finger at him.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Avantika says. “I can slit her throat just like that.” She snaps her fingers before she grips Jester’s arm and wrenches it behind her back. “And I don’t think you want that.”

Jester isn’t proud of the way she whimpers as the pain rips through her shoulder. She tries to pull her wrist out of Avantika’s hand, to turn the tables, get any angle she can use to cast a spell. But Avantika’s grip is too tight and she presses the blade a little closer to Jester’s throat in response.

Avantika tsks in her ear. “No misbehaving, Jester, or I’ll just take you in his place.”

“Do it.” Jester has to strain to speak. “Leave him alone.”

“No! Leave her out of this. I’ll go with you.”

Fjord’s sword vanishes and Jester tries to pull forward so hard that she feels a warm trickle start to run down her neck. She’s _not_ going to let him do this.

“Jester, stop!” He holds his hands up and takes a careful step forward. “Let her go, Avantika. I’ll stop fighting.”

Jester freezes. “No, Fjord. Don’t.”

He shakes his head and takes another careful step forward. Avantika chuckles and Jester wants to scream. He won’t even meet her eyes. She can feel the tears welling up against her will. She wishes she could stop them. That she wasn’t this weak.

“That’s what I thought.” Avantika pulls the blade away from Jester’s neck slightly. “Come, darling. He’s waiting for you.”

“Fjord, please,” Jester begs as he starts to close the distance. The tears are pouring down her cheeks now. “Don’t do this. You don’t have to do this. Please don’t let her take you.”

“No tricks! Stop right there,” Avantika says when he’s just out of arm’s reach.

Jester tries to pull out of her grasp again. Avantika presses the blade close to her throat again, but Fjord interjects before she can speak.

“Jester, stop!”

Jester freezes and a sob catches in her throat. Fjord finally meets her eyes. She can see the way his shine with unshed tears. Her heart cracks into a thousand pieces when he tries and fails to smile.

“If you let her go,” he says, voice cracking, “I’ll do whatever you want.”

“Say goodbye, Jester,” Avantika whispers in her ear.

“No.” Jester tries to stomp on Avantika’s foot.

Avantika laughs. “You can’t stop this.”

Before Jester can do anything else, Avantika shoves her to the side so hard that Jester falls onto her hands and knees. There’s a crack of thunder and when Jester turns around, they’re both gone. A scream tears through her throat and she runs to the nearest railing, searching for any signs.

Any ripple in the water that doesn’t belong there.

Any shadow.

_Anything_.

She runs to the other side of the deck, looking for the same thing. If that spell is the same one Fjord uses, they can’t be too far. They can’t be. She can go father than that. If she can just get an eye on them, she can get him back.

It hits her then. She can breathe underwater. Fjord casts the spell every day. She’s halfway over the railing when arms close around her stomach, pulling her back onto the deck.

“Let me go!” Jester yells, kicking and pulling against Yasha’s grip now. “Let me go! They can’t be too far! We have to get to him!”

“Jester, stop,” Yasha says, calm and gentle.

“No!”

Jester tries to pull away again, but Beau appears in front of her and pushes her back into Yasha’s chest.

“Let me go,” Jester tries, weaker this time. “We can still catch up to them.”

Beau’s grip on her shoulder tightens. “Caleb was _dead_ , Jessie. We can’t go anywhere yet.”

“We have to.”

“They got the orb. They got Fjord.” Beau has to clear her throat before she can continue. “We kind of know where they’re going. Maybe we can get there first.”

Jester slumps in Yasha’s grip. If Beau is saying anything else, Jester can’t hear it over the blood rushing through her ears. She’s dizzy. She can’t breathe. None of this can be real. None of it. It’s a dream. A nightmare. It’s not happening.

She’s vaguely aware of Yasha guiding her into a sitting position on the deck. Vaguely aware of them realizing her neck is bleeding. When Yasha heals her, the flood of warmth fights against the emptiness she feels inside. It makes her more aware of the way she can’t really raise her left arm without excruciating pain in her wrist and shoulder.

“Jester, we need you here,” Beau’s voice suddenly comes back into focus. “Did Avantika say anything before she got him?”

Jester shakes her head. “She didn’t get him. He went.”

“What do you mean he _went_?”

“It was my fault.”

Beau reaches out to squeeze Jester’s arm. “That’s not true. That’s not—”

“If he didn’t go… she said she was going to—”

Jester cuts off with another sob. She brings her hands up to her throat and pulls out of their grasp enough that they can’t touch her anymore. She sets her forehead on her knees when the tears finally take over.

They look out for each other. That’s why he went. She _knows_ that, but she’s still so angry. They look out for _each other_. It’s her fault if they can’t catch up to them. It’s her fault if something happens, because he did this to save her.

It’s all her fault.


End file.
